THeodoros CH. Varzakas

Theodoros Varzakas holds a Bachelor (Honours) in Medical Microbiology and Biochemistry (1992), a Ph.D. in Food Biotechnology (Enzymology and Biochemical Food Engineering), and an MBA in Food and Agricultural Business Management from the University of Reading, UK (1998). He also has one year of postdoctoral experience at the same university. He has served as a Marketing Executive at the pharmaceutical company Gerolymatos, a Research and Development and Quality Management Executive at Chipita, a Lead Quality and Hygiene Management Systems Inspector at Lloyds, and as a Special Scientific Staff member at the Directorate of Nutritional Policy and Research of EFET for 2 years. Since 2005, he has been an Assistant Professor at the School of Agricultural Technology, Department of Agricultural Product Technology at the Technological Educational Institute of Kalamata, specializing in the Processing of Plant-Origin Foods. He teaches in the postgraduate program of the Medical Department of the University of Thessaly in Larissa on Food and Environmental Hygiene and is a tutor at the Open University in Patras in Quality Assurance. He was also a 407/Lecturer at the University of Thessaly, Volos, in the Department of Agriculture, Crop Production, and Rural Environment, where he taught Agricultural Product Technology and Processing. He is a reviewer for many international scientific journals. He has authored 50 research papers and review articles in international scientific journals or foreign-language books and has presented over 45 research papers at international and Greek conferences. He has also authored a book on Genetically Modified Foods. He is an accredited IRCA inspector and is fluent in English and German. Finally, he is a Trainer at the Institute of Training (INEP) of the National Centre for Public Administration (EKDD), a Trainer at EKEPIS, and a Trainer in the EFET Trainers Registry (25) of the Operational Program. He has participated as a lecturer in food quality assurance systems (ISO 9000), environmental management (ISO 14001), safety (HACCP), and food packaging lectures, as well as in food handler hygiene training.